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Chengdu has two airports, so check which one is on your ticket before anything else. At Tianfu (TFU), the newer and much more distant airport, take Metro Line 18 from the Ground Transportation Center towards Chengdu South Railway Station, then change to Line 1 for the centre. At Shuangliu (CTU), the older airport close to the city, take Line 10 towards Wuhouci and change at Taipingyuan for Line 3 or Line 7. Arriving by high-speed train at Chengdu East, take Line 2 straight to Chunxi Road and Tianfu Square. A taxi or DiDi is the better choice for a late landing, a family with bags, or a hotel in the old lanes that the metro doesn't reach.
Which airport or station am I arriving at?
Most international flights and many domestic ones now use Tianfu, which sits far southeast of the city. Shuangliu is southwest and much closer to the centre, and it still handles plenty of domestic routes. Both use "Chengdu" on booking sites, so look for the airport code: TFU or CTU.
| You arrive at | First option to compare | Where the rail part usually ends | Take a car instead when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tianfu Airport (TFU), T1 or T2 | Metro Line 18 | Chengdu South Railway Station, then Line 1 | Late landing, heavy bags, or a hotel west of the centre |
| Shuangliu Airport (CTU), T1 or T2 | Metro Line 10 | Taipingyuan (Lines 3, 7) or Wuhouci | Hotel near Kuanzhai Alley or with no metro nearby |
| Chengdu East Railway Station | Metro Line 2 or Line 7 | Chunxi Road, Tianfu Square | You are tired and the taxi queue is short |
| Chengdu South Railway Station | Metro Line 1, 7 or 18 | Tianfu Square on Line 1 | Hotel in the far west or north |
Whichever you land at, screenshot your hotel's Chinese name, address and nearest metro station before you fly. Drivers and staff will read Chinese faster than any spelling of a Chengdu street name.
Tianfu Airport (TFU): Line 18 into the city
Line 18 is the main rail link. It starts at the airport's Ground Transportation Center (GTC), the big hall between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, so follow the metro signs from either arrivals hall. According to the airport, you board in the transfer hall on the ground level of the GTC.
Metro Line 18 from Chengdu South Railway Station to the Tianfu Airport terminals costs 10 yuan. Line 18 runs 06:00–23:30, and the airport puts the ride between Chengdu South Railway Station and Terminals 1 and 2 at around 44 minutes on a regular train or around 37 minutes on an express. Express trains only run at the morning, midday and evening peaks, so don't wait for one; take whichever comes first.
Travellers on Rednote add a few things the official page doesn't. From Terminal 2, follow the green "Metro" signs along the covered link corridor to the GTC; it's all indoors and there are lifts if you have a big suitcase. On the platform, the screen and the sign above the train doors show whether the next train is an express and where it stops. Line 19 also runs from the same hub, so check the line number before you board. Express trains have larger luggage areas, and the line is packed in the morning rush heading into the city.
Line 18 doesn't go straight to the old centre. Most people change trains:
- For Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li or Tianfu Square: change at Chengdu South Railway Station to Line 1 northbound, then ride to Tianfu Square. From there Line 2 goes one stop to Chunxi Road.
- For the hi-tech zone and the southern hotels: Line 1 south from Chengdu South covers Financial City and the Tianfu Avenue business area.
- For the airport's other line: Line 19 also serves Tianfu and runs west towards Shuangliu and Jinxing, which helps if your hotel is in the southwest.
Paying is the same as anywhere else in Chengdu's metro: buy a single ticket at the machine, or scan the e-ticket in the Chengdu Metro app or the metro code in Alipay or WeChat. If you plan to use phone payments, set them up before you fly.
Going back to the airport, watch the destination on the front of the train. Some regular Line 18 trains end at Tianfu Station, a few stops short of the airport. If yours does, get off and wait on the same platform for the next train to Tianfu Airport North; you don't need to change levels.
Because Tianfu is so far out, a taxi into the centre is a long ride and a big fare. The airport says taxis to places within Chengdu use the meter and do not add a charge for the empty drive back. The taxi rank is on the ground level outside gate G02 (Terminal 1) or G04 (Terminal 2), and ride-hailing pick-ups are on level 1 of the P1 parking building. There are also airport buses from outside gate G01 (Terminal 1) and G03 (Terminal 2), including routes that keep running through the night. One Rednote poster said that after a long wait, ride-hailing drivers at the airport asked for extra money on top of the app price. Don't agree to anything off the app; cancel and rebook, or walk over to the taxi rank and use the meter.
Tianfu also has its own high-speed rail station with trains to Chengdu East. It's quick once you're on board, but trains are far less frequent than the metro and the walk from the terminals is long, so it only makes sense if a departure lines up with your landing.
Shuangliu Airport (CTU): Line 10, then change
Shuangliu is the easier airport for the city. Line 10 stops at both terminals and runs north to Wuhouci, with an interchange at Taipingyuan for Lines 3 and 7.
Finding the platform is where people slow down. The airport's own directions put the Terminal 1 station outside exit 04 on the arrivals level (1F). At Terminal 2 it is two floors down on B2, through passages L2, L3 or L4. Follow the red metro signs; ignore the parking signs that point the same way.
At Shuangliu, Line 10 trains toward Wuhouci run from 06:00 to 23:12 at Terminal 2 and from 06:03 to 23:15 at Terminal 1. If you land after the last train, it's a taxi or DiDi, and the ride from Shuangliu to the centre is short compared with Tianfu. Rednote posters say the taxi rank is outside the arrivals level of each terminal and ride-hailing cars pick up on level 1 of the parking building. There's also a night bus towards Chunxi Road from the arrivals bus stops; check the times posted at the stop.
Two newer lines also stop at the Terminal 2 East station: Line 19, which links Shuangliu with Tianfu, and Line 30, which crosses the south of the city. Line 19 is the one to know if you have a connection between the two airports.
Chengdu East and South railway stations
High-speed trains from Chongqing, Xi'an and most of eastern China arrive at Chengdu East. The metro is under the station: Line 2 runs west to Chunxi Road and Tianfu Square, and Line 7 is the loop line. Follow the "Metro" signs down after the ticket gates. The taxi rank and ride-hailing pick-up area are signposted separately, and on a busy evening the taxi queue can be long; if it snakes back, the metro is usually quicker.
Ride-hailing at Chengdu East is the one thing Rednote posters complain about most. The signposted pick-up zones, D1 and D2, are deep underground on the West Square side, the phone signal is weak, and posters describe waiting half an hour for a car that couldn't get in. One poster found the underground zone closed for works, with the app placing the pick-up on the street above anyway. The fix they all suggest: follow the East Square or West Square signs up to street level, walk to a spot where cars can legally stop, and book from there. Set the pick-up point by hand rather than trusting the app's automatic location, and message the driver that you're at street level, not underground. A regular commuter who posts about the station says drivers often end up searching the car park for passengers who are waiting upstairs. Ignore drivers offering rides on the street; posters say they ask for far more than the app price.
Some trains, especially from the south, stop at Chengdu South. Line 1 is the quickest way to Tianfu Square from there, Line 7 is the loop, and Line 18 goes to Tianfu Airport.
Before you buy a train ticket into Chengdu, check which station it arrives at. Chengdu Station (the old north station), Chengdu West and Tianfu Station also serve some routes, and they are a long way from each other.
When is a taxi or DiDi the better choice?
Use a car when one of these applies:
- You land late, close to the end of the metro day.
- You have more bags than hands, or you're travelling with children or older relatives.
- Your hotel is on a lane in the old centre, where the nearest metro exit still leaves a long walk with luggage.
- You're three or four people, so the cost per person drops.
Use the official taxi rank or the ride-hailing pick-up point, not someone offering a ride in the arrivals hall. Show the driver the hotel's Chinese address on your phone. If you're using DiDi, check the plate before you get in; the DiDi guide explains setup and the pick-up screen.
What do travellers get wrong?
Travellers on Rednote mention the same few problems:
- Booking the wrong airport. Flights listed as Chengdu can use either Tianfu or Shuangliu. Check the code before booking a hotel near one of them.
- Underestimating Tianfu. It is a long way out. People who plan a tight dinner straight after landing at Tianfu often end up late.
- Getting lost inside the GTC. The hall is huge. Follow "Metro" and the Line 18 colour rather than the general exit signs.
- Missing the change at Chengdu South. Line 18 ends there. You can change to Line 1 or Line 7 without leaving the paid area; follow the transfer signs, not the exit.
- Going underground for a DiDi at Chengdu East. The D1/D2 pick-up zones are slow and the signal is poor. Book from street level, or take the metro, which is right below you.
Before you land
Make sure your mobile data works; the China eSIM comparison covers which plans are worth buying ahead. Save your hotel's Chinese address and look up the nearest metro station and exit. The metro tickets and payments guide covers foreign cards and Alipay.
If you're continuing by train, the foreign passport train booking guide and the station boarding guide explain tickets and gates. Once you're settled, the panda base guide and Chengdu tea and Sichuan food guide are good next reads, and the Chengdu city guide has the rest.
